Debate contributions by Aodhán Ó RÍORDÁIN

Madam President, after years lost in the fog of Brexit, EU-UK relations are beginning to clear. Step by step, we are rebuilding trust. In a world as fractured as ours, Europe and the UK cannot afford to drift apart. Brexit has shaken the delicate balance that allowed for a shared European identity in Northern Ireland – an identity that softened old divides and underpinned peace. The European birthright identity of Northern Irish citizens must be respected and represented. Observer status for Northern Irish representatives in this Parliament must be a priority. As I said in Westminster last week, this isn't just symbolic; it is part of ongoing conversations on our island – a united Ireland within the European Union. However, we Irish must get to grips with the potential of a new shared identity, of starting again. As John Hume once said, 'Politics is not only about principles, but about the ability to put principles into practice.' This means imagining a new republic, one that includes a million fellow countrymen and women with very different perspectives on Ireland's past and future. Rome Rule cannot be what happens with Home Rule, and we should only ever be subjects to the best of each other's hopes and aspirations. A forward-looking Ireland can be a home for all, rooted in peace, in respect and in Europe.

Madam President, Europe, the world's greatest peace project, must not stand by as Trump and Netanyahu design a toxic plan for Palestine. Europe must take inspiration from the humanity of the Sumud flotilla, not the cowering submission of President von der Leyen. Her failure of leadership is why I will support Thursday's motion of censure from the Left. We must return to the vision of a two‑state solution, where the national aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis can coexist and never again fall to the depths of Hamas depravity of 7 October, or the monstrous actions of the Israeli apartheid regime over generations and the genocide of the last two years. Israel rejects the concept of a Palestinian state, which is why we must stand for it and lead international isolation of Israel until that happens on every level: diplomatic, cultural, economic and sporting. FIFA must ban Israel. Europe must sanction Israel now.

Madam President, like millions of others in our Union, I believe in Europe. Together we believe in a Europe based on social justice, on human rights and on solidarity – a Europe that is a voice for good in the world. President von der Leyen, we do not believe in you. You bow to Trump's bullying, you roll back on climate commitments and, for all your rhetoric, you cooperate with the far right. And while a genocide rages in Gaza and Israel rips up international law, your response is pathetic. The partial suspension of the Association Agreement you announced today is an insult. This is not a partial genocide: 20 000 Palestinian children are not partially dead! This is not the Europe the people of Ireland believe in. This is not the Europe they love. That Europe is one that houses its people, protects our planet, strengthens workers' rights, stands against genocide and defends international law! President von der Leyen, Europe deserves so much better than your presence.

Mr President, colleagues, we are doing something this Parliament doesn't do often: speaking with one voice united. We are united in demanding justice for Ryan Cornelius. Ryan is the 71‑year‑old British national married to an Irish and EU citizen. He's been locked up in a Dubai prison since 2008 in what the UN has branded as an arbitrary and unlawful detention. Originally sentenced to 10 years, his sentence was cruelly extended by another 20 just before his release, using a law that was applied retroactively. That's not justice. It's legalised cruelty. Ryan's health has deteriorated badly and he's been denied proper medical treatment. Tonight, we stand in solidarity with Ryan and his wife Heather, who alongside their children have been fighting for years for his release. The youngest child was six when Ryan was jailed. Today, they are 23 years old. He has never known his dad outside a prison cell. Tonight, this Parliament stands together with clear demands. We demand that adequate medical care be provided without delay. We demand compensation and reparations for the profound injustice he has suffered. Above all, we demand Ryan Cornelius's immediate and unconditional release.

First of all, High Representative Kallas must apologise for her recent contributions to Irish history. She said that our experience is not the same as those in the West, those who lost their culture and languages. She needs to study Irish history and question why English is spoken in Ireland and why violence, hunger and poverty, her High Representative, have led to millions of people with Irish surnames around the world. As Irish people, such as many others, we know what it means to have your language, your culture and your very identity suppressed, we know what it means to live under occupation, to have foreign powers dictate your fate. This is why we have a deep sense of solidarity with Palestinian people and why we stand here calling for action from the EU. When EU ministers meet on 15 July, we must scrap the EU-Israel Association Agreement and we must sanction Israel now. Freedom of the Palestinians!

Mr President, High Representative, why does the Commission say they care about the rights of children, unless they are Palestinian? Why do they say they care about hunger, unless it is in Gaza? Why do they say to defend international law, until it is violated by Israel? High Representative, Europeans have had enough of this hypocrisy. Europe's leaders only offer silence and shame instead of condemnation. Ursula von der Leyen picked up the phone to Netanyahu over the weekend. You visited Israel in March when the death toll was already 50 000. And now we hear that Israeli representatives are to be welcomed to Brussels next week for the EU-Southern Neighbourhood ministerial meeting. This should be unconscionable. And let me tell you how, High Representative, citizens will be there to protest. And people often ask us, do we feel this way because we are Irish? It's not because we are Irish. It is because we are human. With eyes, with spines, with hearts. We ask you to open your eyes, to grow a spine, to grow a heart, and to end the association agreement and to sanction Israel.

Mr President, 80 000 Irish jobs at risk. Last week, as we marked May Day, Trump's reckless tariffs cast a shadow over workers and businesses across Europe. The full impact is unclear, but what is clear is that unless we act, it's workers who will pay the price. We saw this in 2008, when families bore the brunt of the crash, and we can't let that happen again. We must protect those who keep our economies running: workers and small businesses. Real strength does not come from governments reneging on sick pay and living wage commitments, as the Irish Government has done, but from decent jobs, affordable housing and public investments. These tariffs are really about a perverse perception of power, and Europe must respond with unity and resolve. If Trump wants a trade war, we won't have started it, but we won't back down. This is our moment to prove that Europe is more than a market – indeed, it is a movement – and we are a Union of values, one that stands up for its people.

Madam President, as the world feels more fragile than ever, the upcoming UK‑EU summit cannot be a photo opportunity. It is a chance to show what kind of Europe and what kind of world we want to build. Trump's foreign policy is rooted in egomania. As the US steps back, Europe and the UK must step forward; we must stand in solidarity with Ukraine and in defence of freedom and democracy. But our values mean nothing if we apply them selectively. In Gaza, international law is being torn apart as children are bombed and starved. Their blood drips from the hands of EU and UK leaders. We should know better. For decades, the UK and the EU worked as one to build a fairer, better and more peaceful Europe. Nowhere was that more true than in Northern Ireland. Brexit took the people of the North out of the EU against their will. Northern Ireland needs an enhanced voice in the EU, given its unique citizenship rights, its automatic right to re‑accede, and its obligations under EU law. The UK Government needs to seize the opportunity of a new EU relationship, not cower in the face of Farage's fads army. Failure is not an option.

Madam President, Israel continues to commit the greatest evil the world has witnessed in recent memory. Two weeks ago, we debated its use of starvation as a weapon of war. This week we witnessed the targeting of healthcare workers and rescuers in Gaza – a mass grave discovered containing 15 humanitarian workers executed one by one, buried by an Israeli bulldozer. Their crime: wearing the red crescent. And as Israel bombards Palestinians with relentless airstrikes, enforces mass evacuation orders in southern Gaza and erects new checkpoints to strangle movement in the West Bank, it blocks the very people and medical equipment who could save innocent lives. Meanwhile, some Members of this Parliament dare to call for the defunding of the only agency that can still help: UNWRA. I now hear two Irish citizens, Roberta Murray and Shane O'Brien, being deported from Germany for engaging in pro-Palestinian protest. Those two protesters have more courage than most MEPs in this Parliament. History will hail them. History will condemn Members of this Parliament who have blood on their hands. End the association agreement with Israel.

Madam President, the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic hailed support from our exiled children in America and our gallant allies in Europe. We never thought we would have to choose between them, but we do. We don't know what tariffs may come this week. Workers and businesses in Ireland potentially face the worst economic shock since the crash of 2008. But Europe must stand united. For too long, Ireland's relationship with the US has been viewed through a lens of nostalgia. But we cannot cling to an administration with such contempt for our values. Ireland's membership of this family of nations has lifted us from the dark ages and moved us forward. Trump wants to drag us back to division, protectionism and hateful nationalism. Ireland is not between Europe and America. We are Europe. We must face down Trump's America. The US is choking on the vulgarity of what its political system has produced. History demands that Europe resists.

Madam President, Israel's breach of the ceasefire, cutting off electricity, food and fuel to over 2 million people is a calculated act of collective punishment, a violation of international law. For 10 consecutive days, starvation has become a weapon of war, and the EU Commission responds by continuing to hold meetings of the EU-Israel Association Council. Business as usual. This is a disgrace! It tarnishes our moral standing and exposes the hypocrisy in our commitment to human rights. The recent obstruction of a European Parliament delegation and the deportation of MEPs and EU officials is an affront to our democratic processes, and I want to express my solidarity to my constituency colleague and Chair of the delegation, Lynn Boylan. You mess with one Dub; you mess with all Dubs! We stand with you, Lynn, in demanding the strongest possible response from President Metsola. Far from business as usual, Israel must face sanctions now! Saoirse don Phalaistín!

Madam President, the 'simplification agenda' – like most right-wing phrases, it sounds so benign, but it is also very dangerous. Right-wing politicians are experts at presenting themselves as responsible and sensible, but it is the politics of the right that have plunged Europe into disaster after disaster. Right-wing politics gave us the banking and economic crash, the climate crisis, the rise of homophobia and racism and the vaccine hesitancy that cost lives. It is right-wing policies that fuel homelessness and lead to poorer pay, more discrimination and unsafe work environments. And it is the politics of the right that pours petrol on the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. So we must greet the promotion of 'simplification' and 'cutting red tape' with deep suspicion. Our environmental and social standards were hard fought for. We cannot allow the rest of this Parliament to be driven by a deregulation agenda. The market has no conscience – neither, it seems, do those who worship it.

Mr President, yesterday we witnessed the inauguration of a man whose ideology embodies everything the EU was founded to reject. The EU cannot just stand for our values when it is easy. It matters most when it comes at a cost. Standing up to Trump will come with a cost, but it is much less than the cost of letting this poison win. I am done with the niceties from EU leaders to Trump, while his tech-bro buddies call for our laws to be undermined. I am done with the Taoiseach of Ireland, with our historic understanding of immigration and oppression, promoting Trump's golf links in County Clare in response to his inauguration. And I am done with the so-called strong men who, if they had to live for one day in the shoes of an immigrant, a woman or a transgender person, would quiver with fear. Anyone who believes in the founding principles of the EU should be appalled by what we witnessed yesterday. I am appalled. So I resist and Europe must resist because our history demands it.

Mr President, this ceasefire offers the people of Gaza a moment to breathe after fifteen months of horror. The task of rebuilding Gaza requires Europe's full commitment to help Palestinians restore their lives with dignity. It is the EU's moral duty. The future of Gaza's 650 000 children depends on getting back into UNRWA's schools, many of which lie in rubble today. And frankly, I am disgusted at the diseased mindset that has led some MEPs in this House to undermine UNWRA, with some even voting to defund schoolbooks for children. The proposed Knesset law to dismantle UNRWA's operation puts at risk any chance for lasting peace in the region. Too often in this conflict, the EU's silence in the face of injustice has left a shameful echo. Now Europe must show its humanity: support UNWRA, rebuild Gaza, stand for justice, peace and a future for the children of Palestine.

Madam President, the rate of employment for the 100 million people with disabilities across the EU is just 51 %. This means that tens of millions of Europeans who want to contribute and have so much to offer are being excluded from our labour market. Ireland is one of the worst performers when it comes to the rate of people with disabilities in employment, at just 32 %. Last week, it was my great privilege to welcome a group of disability advocates from Ireland to Brussels to share their lived experience. Their demands of us were clear: we need greater training for employers to hire and keep employees with disabilities; we need to ensure secondary benefits can be retained when taking up employment; we need to ensure our public procurement policies encourage employment opportunities for people with disabilities; and we need to provide adequate transport options for these workers. I look forward to working with the Commission to deliver on these elements in the coming five years, but we need to hear the voices of those who are being excluded and end the policies that discriminate against them.

Mr President, workers must have the right to organise. The Adequate Minimum Wages Directive passed by this House two years ago came into effect last month. It sets minimum targets for coverage of workers under collective bargaining arrangements. Shamefully, Ireland is one of the countries that did not implement this directive by the November deadline. This failure did not come as a surprise. The Irish Government know what they are doing. They are hoping nobody will notice. Ireland is one of the worst performers in terms of collective bargaining in the EU, with just 40 % of workers covered by agreements. 1 in 5 five workers in Ireland are in low-paid jobs, with women and those from marginalised communities disproportionately represented among those numbers. We have seen growing evidence of aggressive tactics by employers to block trade union access and undermine workers rights to organise, and they are being aided and abetted by the Irish Government. Workers deserve a government that prioritises their rights and respects its EU obligations. This directive is not just a piece of legislation. It is a lifeline for millions of workers across Europe. And our government's failure to act is inexcusable. Transpose the directive now.

Mr President, our democracies are under attack. Europe has Trump to one side of us and Putin to the other, and in the middle we have Elon Musk, who is using X to fuel their hateful ideologies. Platforms like X and TikTok are inflaming division and hatred in our societies. I am particularly worried about the impact racist, misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic content is having on young men. Large swathes of this cohort are being radicalised through their social media feeds. We have to solve this problem. In the EU, we now have the Digital Services Act, which was put in place to stop the spread of harmful content on platforms. The Commission needs to use this law to hold these companies to account. But we have to look to and learn from what others are doing in different jurisdictions, for example the social media ban recently introduced in Australia for those under 16 years of age. The threat is existential. We need to act now, before it is too late for many of our young people.

Mr President, I am from Europe's greatest city, Dublin. I love Dublin's people, its history. I love its energy. I ran for this office because of a racist riot that took place in my native city last November. Like many cities in Europe, Dublin is facing some very serious challenges. The city feels less safe. We have drug issues, we have transport problems and our city centre is in urgent need of revitalisation. I was interested to read the Dublin City Task Force report this week. I hope it can be a catalyst for a conversation about the city we want. We want all European cities to be places where people can socialise, go out and watch a match, have access to culture and nightlife but most importantly to be a place where people can afford to live. A place to be proud of. Dublin needs affordable housing. Europe needs affordable housing. It needs to be a place where people on ordinary incomes can raise their families. We must deliver an EU affordable housing plan to tackle the housing crisis and one that ends homelessness. And we do this for the love of Europe, but also for the love of Dublin.

Madam President, the debate about drugs is not really about drugs at all. It's actually about power: those who have it and those who don't. The war on drugs is a complete and utter waste of time, and it's hurting vulnerable citizens. It is a total misunderstanding of the nature of addiction – 'If we just ban drugs and arrest the people who take them, everything will be fine'. Well, it doesn't work. People in every walk of life, in every income bracket – including in politics, journalism, the judiciary and the police – take drugs, but they're not the ones who end up in court. The people who end up in court are those who society feels are powerless. I agree we need to take drug supply away from the hands of drug gangs who terrorise our communities. But we need to spend the money wasted on criminalising the drug user on harm reduction, support and education. Europe doesn't need a war on drugs. Europe needs a war on poverty, on social exclusion and on homelessness. We must decriminalise the drug user across Europe.

Mr President, housing is the social justice issue of our generation, and in my city of Dublin rents have reached record levels, with the average rent now hitting EUR 2 300 per month, and most young Dubliners have given up on the hope of ever owning a home. As Social Democrats, we have put the housing crisis at the core of our agenda for the next five years. We have delivered the EU's first-ever Commissioner for housing, and I am happy that it will be in the hands of a colleague, Social Democrat Dan Jørgensen. We must deliver an EU affordable housing plan. However, there is one glaring omission from the EU Commission mission letter. The issue of homelessness. The EU has set aside the goal of eliminating homelessness by 2030. We have five years to go and we are moving in the wrong direction. 4 400 Irish children are homeless. That is 4 400 stolen childhoods. We can and we must house our people. And as has been said, a roof is a right.

Madam President, EU institutions are complicit in death, destruction and genocide. The EU has looked the other way while Israel has unleashed a level of brutality that is beyond comprehension. This is not new. This EU facilitation of Israel has been going on for over 50 years. Now, Israel seems to be intent on delivering the same bombardment upon the people of Lebanon as they unleashed in Gaza. Last night, in one hour alone, over 120 missiles were dropped on southern Lebanon. As we speak, 25 Irish peacekeepers are trapped in an outpost in southern Lebanon because of the illegal behaviour of the IDF. And frankly, I was disgusted to read the statement of Commission President von der Leyen on Sunday. It failed to condemn the Israeli war crimes. It failed to recognise the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands. It failed to mention the need to uphold international law or the deaths of 17 000 children, 2 000 of which are under the age of two. Israel must face sanctions now or we will have more blood on our hands.

Mr President, what I'm about to say, I say as an Irish MEP, but equally as important, I say as a committed social democrat. Corporations must pay their fair share. Sweetheart deals, profit shifting and corporate financial engineering designed to avoid paying tax must have no place in Ireland, and they must have no place in the EU. For years, the Irish Labour Party has called for Ireland to step up and engage with global tax justice initiatives. This judgment vindicates our call – for which we were roundly criticised by other parties in Ireland – to sign up to both pillars of the OECD corporation tax reform process. Although belated, I am glad the Irish Government has begun to engage with global tax reform initiatives. But there's a long way to go if we are to ensure tax justice once and for all for our citizens. Any economic model that relies disproportionately on corporation tax receipts is completely unsustainable and ultimately a danger to the Irish economy. If we don't act now, we risk repeating the mistakes we made 15 years ago in Ireland. Three corporations in Ireland account for EUR 10 billion of Ireland's tax revenue. The Commission needs to remind Ireland of the reasons for the economic collapse of 15 years ago.

Madam President, sanction Israel now! Madam President, this is my first speech in this Chamber, and I wanted those to be my first words. What is happening in Gaza is nothing short of a total humanitarian catastrophe. Some 41 000 Palestinians have been killed. Gaza has been reduced to rubble, and 2 million Gazans are being left to starve, without electricity, without clean water, without a sewage system or without even a single fully functional hospital. The EU's response to this crisis has been totally inadequate and unacceptable. And this is the reason why I voted against Ursula von der Leyen to remain as President of the European Commission. Only real, tangible action against Israel can stop the suffering. This means scrapping the EU-Israel Association Agreement. It means sanctioning key individual ministers within the Netanyahu regime for their role in inciting war crimes and genocidal acts. And, crucially, it means economic sanctions against the State of Israel. The EU is Israel's largest trading partner. Nearly 30 % of Israel's exports were sold to the EU. At its core, the EU is a project of peace. If we are serious about peace in Gaza, justice for Palestinians and a two-state solution, we must be serious about sanctions against Israel.